Cold
by Linda Ku
Summary: It's excruciating, hating the thing you loved. Kuroko Tetsuya could attest to this. He gazed at the empty court, his stomach lurching. Really it was painful. The swoosh of the basket no longer appealed to him. The sounds of basketball no longer filled him with warm. All he was now was cold. Alone and cold. Would he ever love it again?


Just a prologue to gauge interest. I've always wanted to write a Kuroko no Basuke story. I wanted to explore that moment where Kuroko said he hated basketball. This story will focus on Kuroko and his journey towards loving basketball again.

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><p>The wind howled, ripping through the trees violently. Rain pelted the ground, harsh and unforgiving. Lightening cackled in the sky, warning all those still outside that it would show no mercy.<p>

A young boy, invisible to all, sat in the middle of the basketball court, a ball in his hands. His light blue hair clung to his face as the rain hit his frame. Tears cascaded down his cheeks, camouflaging itself with the rain.

This was where Kuroko Testuya sat…**Alone**

But wasn't he always?

Emotions clogged his mind, leaving him disoriented. He clenched his hands as he choked on his tears, the memory overwhelming him.

_"You're just as bad. All of you are __**monsters**__."_

He gasped softly, his hand flying up to grasp his chest. His heart ripped in two as despair filled his mind.

_"__**Monsters**__"_

Could he really fault Ogiwara for saying something like that to him? Weren't they monsters?

_"Akashi, I want you to not hold back against Ogiwara-kun. Give him all you got."_

Wasn't it he who told Akashi to not hold back? Wasn't it his fault that Ogiwara couldn't look at a basketball hoop without flinching? Wasn't he a monster too?

He brought his hand in front of his face, inspecting it. How many people had he unknowingly depressed? How many people had lost their passion for basketball because of him?

Bitter laughter erupted from his chest as he rose from his seating position, he needed to get out of the rain.

Kuroko doubled over, his laughter overwhelming him. Why did he need to hurry? It's not like anyone would be waiting from him.

The laughter slowly became sobs as he gripped his chest. He was alone.

**Alone**

Who did he have? Kuroko shook his head, water flying everywhere. He could feel the rain seeping past his clothing, freezing his bones.

It couldn't freeze his heart since that froze long ago.

Kuroko began the long journey to his house, his mind blank. His sobs slowly subsided as his mask slowly slid into place.

**"**_**Monsters"**_

The words pounded into his skull like a drum. Every time he remembered them, they pierced his lungs, leaving him breathless. Kuroko didn't know what to do.

Opening his door, Kuroko braced himself for the loneliness that lay behind it. His parents were on another oversees trip and he wouldn't see them for a couple months. Kuroko was used to it.

He just wasn't used to the crippling loneliness that permeated the house. Like a bad stench, it lingered, suffocating him. He stood at the entryway, staring into the dark, _empty_ place. Taking a deep breath, Kuroko entered the house.

It would never be a home; the place had none of the warmth. Rather, it was an empty place. All it would ever be good for was providing him with shelter from the elements.

Closing the door behind him, Kuroko slowly began taking off his shoes.

"I'm home." He didn't know why he kept saying that, maybe because he hoped someone would, one day, answer? Maybe because he hoped it would instill some warmth in the cold place?

He didn't know. All he did know was that every failed attempt added to the loneliness in his chest.

Making his way towards his room, Kuroko made short work of his shower. Quickly putting on his clothes, Kuroko crawled onto his bed. He didn't spare a look at his backpack, knowing that he wasn't going to do any homework.

Sliding under the covers, Kuroko waited to get warm. Seconds turned into minutes, which turned into hours and Kuroko was still waiting.

His alarm clock blared loudly, destroying the oppressive silence, and Kuroku could only laugh. His laugh morphed into sobs as he laid under the covers.

Kuroko was still cold.


End file.
